Omaha daily bee., 1887-02-27
FASHIONS FAME FAREWELL!
For twenty-five Years in an American
:" Amusement Temple.
FooTLlGHTs FADED FOREVER.
Favorite Faces-Patti's First Visit
Crisi and Mario-y
colomini = Kellogg's Debut
Notable Balls.


five years ago, the resort of the cultivated
taste and artistic excellence of New York
is to be closed; converted into beer
garden, perhaps, or a German threatre,
given over to purposes of which its pro-
jectOrs and owners never dreamed.
Within those walls heard the farewell
OF Grisi and Mario to America, in Lu.
crezia Borgia. There the sumptuous
queen OF tragic opera waved the arms
which it was said we're the same that the
Venus OF Milo had lost and with a grace
and passion and dignity that have never
been equalled since, hurled the i'm.
precautions and accusations of the Druid,
or implored for the life of Gennaro, with
a superb majesty ard pathos that made
the infatuation Of Ferrara credible.
There the greatest tenor of our time
warbled out the dying strains of Edgardo,
or the love notes of the Sprto Gentil to
enraptured audiences The final scene
Of the Favorita. when Grisi crouched and
crawled at the foot of the cross and then
arose in the rapture OF love, as Mario
dragged her to him, and both sang the
inspiring notes of the finale-equalled in
dramatic power and passionate ex-
preston anything seen or heard on the
modern stage. This was the culmina-
ton of Italian opera. The rendering of
such artists was as indispensable to the
masters of song as the Instrumentation
of today is to the embodiment of
Wagner's idea; but singers like these
produced effects of exquisite expression
and melodic delight not surpassed by the
greatest triumphs of instrument or or
chestra in the German harmony. Not
only
GRIsI AND MARIO
have left their memories in Irving place.
There the "Huguenots' and the ''Trova-
tore" were first produced in America.
There Vestvali, the Pole, first sang the
notes of Azucena to New York audience
and with ner fine presence and magnetic
bearing for a while fascinated young New
York. There the delightful trio Brignoh
Amodio and La Grange so long reigned
supreme; u tenor full of sweetness, if not
of fire; n baritone rich, full and sonorous;
soprano cultivated, refined, expressive
elegant, and able to interpret the music
of Meyerbeer, Donizetti, Verdi or Mozart
La Grange and Formes in the third act of
the "Huguenots" gave rendering that
has hardly been surpassed of that eX-
qusite scene; and in Robert le Diable, in
the great trio without accompaniment,
where the struggle that comes to every
man, between temptation and principle
is portrayed with grandeur and power
fully equal to the expression of the same
IDEA in the Tanhauser, an effect was pro-
duced that the greatest musicians and
composers might envy. AT this opera
house
KELLOGG MADE HER DEBUT
in Rigoletto while Colonel Stebbins, her
friend and patron, looked down from his
box and shared with his family and the
audience the pleasure of that artistic
success which he had done so much to
/ har hn-
hind the scenes to congratulate the new
prima douna on her voice and her boots,
which both were fine. Here also, of
Thanksgiving night, Patti first sang in
opera, twenty-six years ago, to scant
aud cncc, who little dreamed they were
present at the entrance into the musical
world of one OF its greatest prodigies
and queens. Nor not the most hopeful
friend or enlightened critic anticipated
the brilliant career that awaited the timid
little maiden, scarce sventeeD, who came
out as Lucia di Lammermoor.
PICCOLOMINI REIGNED HERE
for n season. not the greetest of singers
actresses In comic roles she can never
have been surpassed. The exquisite
coquctry with Rodolfo in spite of her love
for Elvino. in the 'Sonnambula;" the
malicious archness of Rosina, all through
the Barber the half unconscious
uuNSullIIcsS VI TIC IDulIl-lbulll, dllu VI tut
minuet in Don Giovanni were brimful
of womanly wiles and artistic genius.
An mel the long procession of beautiful
women and delightful singers and
actresses; the queens and peasants, the
nuns and ladies' the mad Lindas and
Lucias singing out their woes so that you
wished they would never get we'll the
stately Semramides, the rattling, drum
ming vivandieres; the abbesses that rose
from their tombs IN ballet dresses to en-.
chain the son of Robert; the saucy
Susannas who tlirted with Figaro; the
gipsies, the Traviatas. the Satos, even
the fair Romeos-where are all the en-.
smiles all past, their songs all slenced:
the curtain fallen forever on their charms
and arts.
Even the music is forgotten that in
spired them-another sign of the change
that has come over New York For It's
not only the stage, and the style of the
music, but the people and their manners
that are different. The fashion has
passed away. Yet who that knew the
Old life at the academy of music but re.
grets the delightful house where every.
body could see everybody else, where the
LADIES WERE NOT STUCK
like milliner's figures IN shop window.
but sat as IN drawingro surrounded
by their friends; where man could walk
about and find dozen acquaintances as
he passed; where it was possible TO get
,ntu - ssCcx without peering at half
illogible name, or pene...",,,ilng through an
ante.room full of cloaks and ove,Stnoes,
and then perhaps blundering and tloun-
dering into the company of people you
do not know. Who does out recall the
gay look of the house where YOU were
near enough to recognize friend across
the theatre, where elegant women were
accustomed to sit in the parquet and bal
cony in opera hats and light colored
cloaks,a costume often as effective rs full
dress, but which is no longer known, and
which gave the whole audience bril-.
liant effect as different rs possible from
the funeral aspect of the floor of the
Metropolitan.
a.. In those days, too, the people were far
better known; not only known to them
selves, but distinguished by reputation
and character; people of mark, whom
any country might be glad to consider its
representatives. Great authors like Ban
croft and Irving, great lawyers and
judges, composers like Fry and Bristow;
men of national fame in politics were as
abundant in New York society as IN these
days they are rare, and all went to the
opera. They even
WENT To THE CHARITY BALL;